My first real post here, even though I've been a lurker for a long time. I saw an infomerical today on "The Smart Techinique where you listen to motivational cds on eating, exercise, and other stuff.

Does anyone have any information on this? Does it work? I'm nearly out of ideas and motivation. Thank you.

Anything will work if you stick to it! So figure out what you can stick to and do it.
I have to work with myself..I know I am not going to give up carbs or eat no chocolate that type of thing, so I figure out what I can do to make my program work..and that works for me.
If you are nearly out of ideas and motivation..why? What would be fresh and new and help you do what you need to do? A new way of looking at your weight loss issues maybe?

Maybe I do need a new way of looking at it. I wondered if this type of mental exercise would help. Lord knows I've tried all the diets, the exercises, and I do pretty well for a month or two, then I don't see much results and I get depressed and give up.

Don't know what to do.

Well maybe you need to get real with what you can do. I realized that though I have a good grip on calories for example..I ate whatever I wanted. Once I joined an online calorie counting site..calorieking.com and started calorie counting (its easy when they do the math) I could see where I blundered.
I also started eating volumetrically..more fruits and veggies and less dense things like nuts and chips.
I doubt if motivational CDs will do anything but take your bucks. You have to find motivation from within.
Basically you are saying you are not doing well at diets. So stop dieting..and become aware of what you eat.
One other thing to look at is sugar intake. I find if I eat less sugar I stay in control..I also make sure I get enough protein. Otherwise I lose it and eat everything in sight.

I cut out sugar, I keep a notebook of what I eat, I started eating more beans and vegetables with some fruit and less starch.

I exercise 4 times a week minimun, 2 cardio sessions, 2 full body weights. I've seen some changes in my shape, but not in the scale and the scale is the only thing the dr. addresses. This has been going on for a year. Its not like I'm not informed or not trying. I am. But I'm not getting the results my dr. thinks I need and when I cut calories down to a bare minimun, that doesn't work either because in a day or so I feel like I'm starving and I overeat. Not junk, but overeat on good food.

So I thought if this type of tape worked, it would help my mental state.

Thanks for the help anyway.

It may be that you're looking for the wrong results. As long as you're doing the routine, don't worry about the scale, even if it's all the doctor addresses. If your shape's changing, then it's working. Start taking measurements the same days you weigh in and keep a log of the measurements. It might surprise you. And keep a log of how you're feeling. If you begin to feel better, more energetic, and your health is improving, the doctor can't complain. And it shows results. Just because it's not results you see on a scale doesn't mean there aren't any results.

As for motivational tapes, I'm not sure they could help. They might. So if you want to try and toss money at a solution, go for it. But it doesn't appear you need motivation to diet and exercise. You need to see results. That's what making you give up. So try looking for results somewhere besides the scale and see if it helps.

Sometimes it's not what I do, but what I DON'T do....like over-eat, not exercise......yes, the doctor will mostly just address the scale, but size matters too, inches and ounces both count.

The motivation comes from within yourself....you have to get yourself *excited* by focusing....it can be anything you want.... (I try to focus on small goals because the BIG PICTURE seems mountainous sometimes) good luck!

Thanks, I'll keep trying. I feel better today reading your comments.

I wish my dr. would not make me feel so bad about the scale not moving and I wish I could get over my hatred of that darn scale!

I actually didnt find The Smart Techinique to be especially helpful. It was mostly self-hypnosis. My sister & I tried it together & both only lasted a few weeks. THough, given my diet history, I am almost certain that it was us, not them

Ineedtolose: you may want to seach 3fatchicks for posts about the smart technique. It has been discussed here before. I have read the posts and I felt that people were getting benefits from it so I decided to get it from ebay.

I know tha I have to do the work and that it isn't going to become easy but I also feel that this will help. It seems to be relaxing and help people who are trying to lose weight focus.

I seem to lose focus quickly.

I hope this helps.

The thing is...hypnosis doesn't work for everyone - i.e. not everyone can be put into a hypnotic state.

I've done hypnosis myself, with some success...however most of the people in my group (this was about 10 years ago and it was a hypnosis weight loss program) had absolutely no success whatsoever, and dropped out before the sessions were over.

$100 is a HECK of a lot of money for some self-hypnosis CDs that appear to be endorsed by a couple of actresses who (apparently) last appeared in a short lived TV series in the mid 1990s...especially when you can go to your local library system and check out self-hypnosis CDs by actual certified hypnotherapists...or buy them a heck of a lot cheaper than $100.

I got mine on ebay for 24.50 plus shipping.

I gained weight while listening to the CD's so I got rid of them.

I am going to forget this set and spend the money on new work out things instead.

Even if the scale doesn't change, I see that my body definitely changing and I am going to keep going on with watching my food and trying to exercise.

I don't think I can be hypnotized either!

I think motivational tapes CAN be helpful if you consider them an adjunct rather than "the cure." They are simply a way to provide stress managment, maintain focus, and provide positive self-feedback. This is a crucial part of a lifestyle makeover for most people with serious weight problems, and a good tape can be useful in that respect. The same goes for reading books like Thin for Life and The Thin Books. At the beginning of my program I used a tape called A Meditation to Help You With Weight Loss that is excellent and it cost me less than $10 at Amazon. It's not so much "hypnosis" as guided imagery, and I do think that it gave me a boost. Biofeedback-type techniques like the ones here have been proven useful in many areas. Since I've been taking yoga I've found that the guided imagery my teacher uses is also very helpful in getting the maximum impact out of class. I considered this tape one of many, many tools in my arsenal, and I'm glad to have used it, and will probably use it again in the future.